Feeding chain for lumber gluing machines



y 0, 1954 v. J. WINKEL 2,684,149

FEEDING CHAIN FOR LUMBER GLUING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 6, 1947 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. VICTOR .T. WINKEL BY w mflaiw A tin/neg July20, 1954 V J. KEL 2,684,149

FEEDING CHAIN FOR LUMBER GLUING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 6. 1947 4Sheets-Sheet 2 fiy.5

INVENTOR. VICTOR -J'. WINKEL BY M g July 20, 1954 V. J. WINKEL FEEDINGCHAIN FOR LUMBER GLUING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 6, 1947 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 5

INVENTOR. VICTOR J'. WINKEL July 20, 1954 v. J. WINKEL FEEDING CHAIN FORLUMBER GLUING MACHINES Original Filed Sept. 6, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR. VICTOR J'- WINKEL Patented July 20, 1954 FEEDING CHAIN FORLUMBER GLUING MACHINES Victor J. Winkel, Portland, -reg., assignor toLaminated Lumber Products, Inc., Portland,

Oreg.

Original application September 6, 1947, Serial No. 772,565. Divided andthis application April 25, 1952, Serial No. 285,010

3 Claims.

The present application is a division of the application of Victor J.Winkel, Serial No. 772,565, filed September 6, 1947 now Patent No.2,617,456.

My present invention comprises a machine for gluing lumber scrapstogether to form large boards, thus providing means to utilize wastematerial in lumber mills or factories utilizing lumber. It is well knownthat in many industries scraps of lumber of good quality, except thatthey are of irregular dimensions, are sold for their salvage value orburned. The principal object of the present invention therefore is toreduce lumber wastage by utilizing mill scrap.

One object of the present invention is to provide large boards capableof being utilized as wall, ceiling or floor panels, or as the sides ofboxes or the like, and in many other applications where larger boardsthan normally available are desirable or useful. I thus am able toprovide a product having great value from material normally wasted.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for forming acontinuous sheet of board material which may be cut into any desiredlengths, by joining small board sections of irregular lengths together.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved edge gluing mechanism for applying glue to the edges of aplurality of adjacent board sections which are to be joined edge toedge.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a boardfabricating machine in which boards are glued edge to edge, and in whichthe setting of the glue is achieved in rapid order.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a machine formaking boards of smaller board sections, which may be quickly and easilyadjusted in order to form boards of various widths.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be more readily apparent from an inspection of the accompanyingdrawings taken in connection with the following specication wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of the presentinvention disclosing the assembling table and the edge gluing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the portion of the machine in which the dryingor setting of the adhesive is accomplished;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism disclosed in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view taken from the right end of Fig. 4;

. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the gluing mechanism takensubstantially along line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken along line 7-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the mechanismdisclosed in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail View taken substantially along line 9-4) ofFig. 3; and

Fig. 10 is a view in perspective of a portion of one of the materialfeeding chains.

The machine comprises an assembly section I 0 upon which is positioned awide endless belt ll extending over an end roller mounted upon a shaftl2. The belt I i is driven by suitable motive means (not disclosed) soas to have a lineal speed in the range of 2 to 10 feet per minute.Positioned above the belt i l are a plurality of paral lel guide bars itwhich extend over the top of the table to provide troughs between whichmay be dropped sections of boards is of suitable standard width anddepth but of any irregular length. Adjacent the end of the belt H andabove the boards is positioned a driving roll it having a rubber orcanvas covering thereon which is driven by suitable means such as thesprocket chains l "l and gears l8, the chain extending to suitablemotive means such as the motor for driving the belt H. The boards areshoved forwardly from the end of belt i l by the roller l6, across thetop of intermediate supporting plates 25 and El between Which aremounted a plurality of glue applying members 22, being held down againstany upward thrusting tendency of the glue applying members by aplurality of pressure shoes 23.

The glue applying members each comprise a pair of flexible discs 25retained between collars 26 mounted upon a shaft 21 extendingtransversely of the machine. The outer surfaces of the discs 25 adjacenttheir peripheries are beveled to provide fiat surfaces 28. The surfaces28 are immersed in adhesive contained within a trough 29 extendingtransversely of the machine. Any suitable adhesive may be positioned inthe trough but I prefer a type of adhesive which is thermo-setting. Theshaft 27 is driven by suitable means such as the sprocket chain atconnected to the feeding drive.

As the discs 25 rotate the surfaces 28 pick up adhesive which is evenlyspread by suitable spreaders 35 mounted on the edge of the trough 29beneath the plate 20. The flat surfaces of the discs are so positionedas to extend upward between the adjacent edges of the board sections I5.

A spreader disc 36 havin a wedge-shaped cross section is mounted upon anarm 31 extending from a cross bar 359 and is so positioned between thediscs 25 as to spread the beveled edges thereof outwardly at theiruppermost extremities so as to bring the adhesive bearing surfacesthereof into contact with the adjacent edges of the board sections tothereby coat the sections with adhesive. Shortly beyond the adhesiveapplying members there are preferably positioned a plurality of scrapermembers 39 mounted upon crossrods 59 so as to lie between the boardsections it. The scraper members (Fig. 1) preferably comprise U-shapedsprings with notched ends spread outwardly in order firmly to contactthe surfaces of the boards and spread the adhesive over the surfacesthereof. After leaving the adhesive appliers the board sections arereceived on an intermediate table 5 provided with edge guiding members36 which converge toward each other to an extent such that the boardsare brought together to form a single board of the Width of theplurality of boards.

The boards are now received in the adhesive setting mechanism disclosedin Figs. 3, 4 and 5. This mechanism comprises a suitable frame includingupright channels 5%) and longitudinal channel members 5i connected bytransverse tie bolts 52. Suitable brackets mounted at each end of themechanism support a pair of transverse shafts 53, each of which carriesa pair of sprocket gears 54, one at each side of the machine. About eachlongitudinally opposed pair of sprocket gears 55 there is extended aflexible sprocket chain 5?. The chain, as more clearly detailed in Fig.9, comprises a standard type of sprocket chain including pins Stextending through spacers which may be clinched to the adjacent ends ofeach pair of longitudinally extending links 62 and which are preferablysurrounded by sprocket engaging rollers 5!. The links 62, as moreclearly seen in Fig. 10, spread outwardly so to embrace the ends of thesucceeding pair of links 52 and the pin 5!! inserted therethrough toform the chain. The pins (it) may be provided as usual with large heads63. at one end and a reduced tip t l at the other, the reduced tip 6 1being normally provided with an opening for the reception of a cotterpin or the like. In the present invention the cotter pin may beeliminated since the pins as are retained by faceplates s5 and t6straddling each set of links iii and retained thereon by a large,flat-headed screw 6'! extending across the space above the links 62 andhaving its head countersunk into the plate 55. The upper portions ofeach plate 65 and as are substantially rectangular but the lowerportions thereof are tapered inwardly so that the lower ends thereof areconsiderably narrower than the upper ends in order that the chain maypass about sprockets as seen in Fig. 4. In order to hold the assemblytogether the plates 65 are provided with recesses 68 of such size as toreceive the heads 63, the recesses extending inwardly from the upperportions of the tapered faces of the plates, and the plates 66 areprovided with similar recesses 69 of such shape and location as toreceive the tips E l or pins til.

The chains 55 are driven by suitable means such as a sprocket chain itextending about a sprocket gear on the forward shaft 53 and a sprocketgear on an intermediate shaft ll and a second sprocket chain i2extending about a sprocket gear 73 on shaft H and a sprocket gear "M ona motor 15. The gears are so arranged as to drive the chains 55 at aspeed slightly less than the lineal speeds of the belt I I and theroller Hi. The boards l5 are thereby forced into abutting relationshipwith each other as the boards approach the chains 55, and the belt H androller it slip slightly upon the surfaces of the boards so as to permitthis diiferential in speed.

In order to accommodate different numbers of boards I5 so as to providefor the fabrication of various widths of finished boards the right chain55 is shiftable laterally, the sprocket gears upon which this chain ismounted being slidable longitudinally of the shaft 53. In order toprevent the chains from spreading between the sprocket gears theoutermost surfaces of the outermost plates 65 are engaged by a pluralityof rollers it mounted in channel shaped members extending longitudinallyof the machine. At the right side of the machine the rollers 76 aremounted in a rigid channel shaped member ll which is affixed to sleevesl8 guided upon the cross ties 52 and movable thereon by screws i9passing through the uprights 5i! and provided with adjusting cranks 86.At the left side of the machine the rollers it are mounted in aplurality of separate sections 8i guided for lateral movement upon guiderods 82 about which are coiled heavy compression springs 83. Theseparate sections 8! may therefore bow the chain 55 inwardly if slightvariations in the overall width of the finished board should occur. Thechains are prevented from shifting vertically by longitudinal guide bars54 mounted on the sleeves it.

In order to hold the individual boards in position a plurality ofrollers 9! are mounted on suitable cross shafts fixed in supports 92depending from cross braces each of the rollers being adapted to engagethe upper surface of a row of boards iii. The supports 92 and rollers 3|are suitably fashioned (not detailed herein) to permit the removal of,or the addition of, the proper number of rollers for the number of rowsof boards being fabricated into a single board. At the outlet end of themachine a plurality of rollers 95 are mounted upon shafts as supportedin links 9'! depending from the cross ties 52. Pairs of the shafts 96are connected together by longitudinally extending links 98 which extendthrough brackets 99 mounted on one of the cross ties 52 and are threadedfor the reception of nuts iilil. The nuts may be tightened 0r loosenedto cause angular shifting of the rollers 95 about the cross ties 52 sothat various depths of board may be accommodated. The rollers 91 arealso preferably adjustable vertically by any convenient means hereinillustrated) so that the entire machine may be adiustable to accommodatevarious depths of board.

In the gap between the rollers 9! and the rollers 95 I position a pairof electrode assemblies lill and H32 including longitudinally extendingbars [(33 adapted to bear upon the surfaces of the boards adjacent thelongitudinal edges thereof. The electrodes it! and N2 are connected bysuitable cables iii l to a source of high frequency current (not hereinillustrated) by means of which high frequency current is caused to passthrough the boards and effect setting of the adhesive by the heatingeffect thereof. It is to be appreciated that other types of heatingmeans or drying means could be substituted for the high frequencyelectrodes, but such a substitution would entail the materiallengthening of the machine and would result in slower operation. By theuse of high frequency heating means the adhesive is firmly set atrelatively high speeds.

After the completed board leaves the adhesive setting machine it passesthrough suitable transverse cutting mechanism, such as a flying shear ora flying rotary saw (not herein illustrated), so as to be cut into thedesired lengths.

It is to be appreciated that various details are herein illustratedschematically since many possible modifications of such details mayoccur to those skilled in the art. All such modifications in detail, andmodifications in arrangement of the machine, as come within the truespirit and scope of the appended claims are considered to be a part ofmy invention.

I claim:

1. In a machine for makin laminated boards, a conveyor chain adapted togrip the boards and press the laminations together comprising a sprocketchain having link retaining pins protruding from each side thereof, aplurality of f aceplates assembled on the sprocket chain in opposedpairs, a threaded member separably connecting each pair of faceplatestogether and extending across the conveyor chain above the portion ofthe sprocket chain embraced thereby, and each faceplate having recessestherein for reception of the protruding portions of adjacent pairs ofsaid pins.

2. A chain comprising links and link retaining pins protruding from eachside at the ends of each link thereof, a plurality of faceplatesassembled on the chain in opposed pairs, a threaded member separablyconnecting each pair of faceplates and extending across the chain abovea link thereof, each faceplate having a pair of inwardly open, edgerecesses therein for reception of the protruding portions of adjacentpairs of said pins, said faceplates providing aligned broad surfaces atthe opposite sides of said chain.

3. A chain comprising a plurality of endwise connected sprocket chainlinks and transverse link connecting pins protruding from each side ofthe chain at the ends of each link, a pair of faceplates separablymounted upon each of said links, said faceplates being mounted inopposed pairs covering the sides of the chain, each of said faceplateshaving a plane, uninterrupted, outer surface, each of said faceplateshaving op-- positely inclined end surfaces whereby said chain may passaround sprockets, each of said faceplates having a pair of recesses eachextending partially therethrough from its inner surface and from an endsurface for reception of a portion of a protruding end of one of saidpins, and a screw extending laterally through one of a pair offaceplates and threadedly engaged in the other faceplate of the pair,said screw passing above the link, and the head of said screw beingcountersunk flush with the outer surface of said one faceplate and thethreaded end thereof terminating within said other faceplate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,826,351 Hoefen Oct. 6, 1931 1,882,855 Melin Oct. 18, 19322,339,761 Bruestle Jan. 25, lS i-i

